Tag Archives: Grant Holt

So that is the end of another topsy turvey season in the life of being a Saints fan, but no season would be complete without a spate of reviews and awards. This site is no different and yet again the response to this years Ali awards has been fantastic, and this is what is up for grabs:-

So without further ado, here are YOUR winners…..

Player of the Year

This was calculated like so:- Each player got 2 points for a vote as winner and one point as a vote for runner up. Here are all those that received votes and their points percentage.

And the winner, a young man who started his career at Saints with a lot of doubters, but in the second half of the season was undoubtedly one of our top performers with 29% of the votes……Jay Rodriguez!

Performance of the Season (Team or Individual)

Received Votes:-Puncheon at Loftus Road, Second Half at Stamford Bridge (Team), Gaston Ramirez v Villa at home, Team v Villa at home, Team v Newcastle at home, Jay Rodriguez v Liverpool at home, Boruc at Villa Park, Team v Arsenal at home, Team v West Ham at home, Second Half at Old Trafford (Team), First half at home v Everton (Team), Lambert v Chelsea at home, Cork v Chelsea at home, Boruc at Carrow Road, Team at Loftus Road, Cortese v Le Tissier, Cortese sacking Adkins.

3rd Place:- Team v Chelsea at home in the league (13%).

2nd Place:- Team v Liverpool at home (20%).

And the winner, a memorable day as the champions were made to look extremely ordinary with 31% of the votes….Team v Man City at home.

And in joint first place, the imaginary trophy will have to spend 6 months in each users mind, with 16% of the votes each, errrr, this is a little embarrassing…..Simon Peach and I!

So that concludes this year’s ‘Ali’s’, some truly deserving winners there I’m sure you will agree. Thank you to everybody who voted, and thank you all for a fantastic season. I actually think the atmosphere at St. Mary’s this season was the best it has ever been, and one of the best in the Premier League. As the club goes through some interesting times progress wise our support is more important than ever.

That’s a difficult question, as nobody really knows what to expect. The idea is that Rodgers has come in and we’re going to suddenly look like a combination of everything that was good about Swansea last year and Barcelona is all well and good, but a little naive. We’ll probably be a lot better at both ends of the pitch, because at the end of the season it was hard for us to be any worse.

Who is your most important player?

Steven Gerrard. Suarez comes very close but there’s no mistaking as to who everyone associates with Liverpool. There’s a reasonable arguement to be made for Lucas aswell, given what happened last year. Hopefully now that will have put to bed this ludicrous idea that’s he’s anything other than boss.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

5th. Champions League football would be great and while I don’t for any reason think it’s out of our reach, it relies upon too many other factors.

Who might win the Premier League?

Chelsea. They’re addressing the problem with their aging team the only way they know how, spending lots and lots of money. I have a feeling Di Matteo will suffer a lot in the same way that Dalglish did last year (first season no pressure, now there is) but if it clicks then City and United could have a fight on their hands.

Who definitely won’t?

Arsenal. I don’t think any level headed gooner will be thinking that they’re actually challenging, but any that are deserve the same kind of ridicule usually levelled at us.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

Tricky. Everton is more important and you feel that one coming for a lot longer but there’s that “special” something that comes with games against Man United, who probably edge it because it feels a lot less one sided.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

Probably City and United. It’s a bit of a cliche but the two games last year were fascinating. Also, they had the perfect result.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

I think they – along with all the promoted teams – are certainly capable of staying up. The league has been divided into three categories now and those that aren’t challenging for Europe don’t ever seem to be really out of it until March, so it’s unlikely anybody will sink without a trace. St. Mary’s will be rocking and not the ideal place for any team to go if you manage to get on a roll. Can’t wait to see Lambert in the Premier League also.

You find yourself stuck in Goodison Park. How do you escape unnoticed?

I’m not sure because if they ever heard me talk about Liverpool they may assume I’m just one of them. They’re not obsessed or anything…

A serious fight for the title, we want it back. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes. Had some shocking moments last season, for example drawing with Everton (4-4), Newcastle (1-1) and Stoke City (1-1) followed by a loss at Ewood Park in December (Blackburn beat us 3-2). We had way too many injuries and our form dipped because of that. Michael Carrick had to play as centre back more than he should have for example. If we have a good campaign, but finish 2nd I’ll take it. As long we don’t throw the title away like we did previous season.

Who is your most important player?

This one is easy, Nemanja Vidic. He missed most of last season after twisting his knee against Basel (December) and left the pitch on a stretcher. He only played in 6 Premier League matches. Now that Smalling and Evans are suffering from injuries, It’s crucial our captain stays fit.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

I think we are going to win the title back, so 1st. Who might win the Premier League? I think it’s going to be us or City, could see Chelsea and Arsenal fight for that 3rd place finish.

Who definitely won’t?

Spurs, they won’t even finish in Top 5, there I said it. I could see Newcastle or Everton pushing for that final Champions League spot. One thing that makes Premier League such a wonderful league, is the fact you usually fail with any league table predictions (at least I do!).

What is your most anticipated fixture?

There are some fixtures I look forward to more than others.. usual suspects City,Chelsea,Liverpool,Arsenal of course. Looking forward seeing United play against promoted teams too, such as your lot. Our first fixture of the season is a hard one as well, Everton (Away).

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

Well, must be derby days. Newcastle – Sunderland being a fixture I won’t miss.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

As I said before, predicting is hard but I’ll give it a go. I think you’ll finish anywhere between 12 and 16. You have only signed one new player so far (Jay Rodriguez), so It’s hard to say how much you are going to improve your team before transfer window closes. I think you will have no problem beating the drop, and when you do you can start building for your 2nd season back in Premier League.

You find yourself stuck in the Etihad Stadium. How do you escape unnoticed?

Hmmm, wow. Well moonwalk is out of questions here I suppose. Fake phone call always gets you out of tricky situations I suppose?!

Newcastle are in the Europa league this season so we are hoping that we can have a long run in that competition, our first participation in Europe for six years. And as far as the league goes we will do well to repeat our 5th place finish of last year with Liverpool and Chelsea likely to be a lot better this season. And as far the two local cups go we’d like to see us have some good runs in those too – but if we can again qualify for Europe next season we’ll be happy enough.

Who is your most important player?

Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote run the central midfield for us, and up front Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba score the goals, so they are important. Captain Fabricio Coloccini, who has just been selected for Argentina again is a huge player for us at the back, as well as young Dutch international goalkeeper Tim Krul. Frenchman Ben Arfa also gives us the creativity to unlock any defenses on his day.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

Newcastle should be able to finish in the top six, if we can carry on from where we left off last season.

Who might win the Premier League?

Manchester United or Manchester City would seem to be the top choices, although our own Ben Arfa is saying Newcastle could have a chance at the title, but that has to be a long shot – a very long shot.

Who definitely won’t?

Sunderland.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

The games with local rivals Sunderland are always the top fixtures at Newcastle and we haven’t lost to Sunderland for many many seasons, and long may that continue. Of course they also play in red and White stripes with black shorts like Southampton. We also like playing Manchester United, and whacked them 3-0 at St. James Park last January.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

The local derby between the two Manchester clubs.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

They should be able to keep themselves in the Premier League next season, as they seem to have captured some decent players in the summer in Nathaniel Clyne and Jay Rodriguez, although the latter didn’t come cheap. I used to live down in Romsey when I was at IBM in Hursley way back, so I have a soft spot for Southampton.

Cabaye & Tiote will be key to building on Newcastle’s impressive last season.

The same blood, sweat and tears. The same never-say-die attitude. The same Grant Holt. The same energy levels, quick attacks and aerial threat. Oh, and a new manager.

Who is your most important player?

I’ve been vocal about Jonny Howson and think he will be instrumental this season. I’ve even predicted that he will win his first England cap during the course of the 2012/13 season.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

I’d love to see a repeat of last season, but have a feeling that we’ve got a tougher journey this time round. I will predict 15th.

Who might win the Premier League?

Chelsea could be capable of challenging the two Manchester Clubs, but certain senior members of the squad will need to find some form and keep it.

Who definitely won’t?

Any of ther other 17 teams! – If you want me to pick on one I’ll say QPR. A few names have joined over the Summer but Hughes is still to prove that he can make them gel.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

We’re looking forward to welcoming Mr Lambert back to Carrow Road. Of all our fixtures, we will be desperate to win that one!

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

I love a good derby, and I think the North London clashes between Arsenal and Spurs will continue to be vital in the race for Champions League spots.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

Southampton come into the Premier League under near identical circumstances to Norwich. New management has brought fresh impetus and a desire to succeed. The manager has been clever in the transfer market this summer, and I think these signings could be vital in the quest for survival. Can Southampton succeed in the same manner as Norwich and Swansea? Possibly!

You find yourself stuck in Portman Road. How do you escape unnoticed?

With my hands in my pocket. If Ipswich Town fans spot someone with regulation four fingers and a thumb, they immediately become suspicious.

“If we make sure we can get Rickie in the right areas and give the right supply to him then he will put the ball in the back of the net, his career shows you that.” – Nigel Adkins, September 2011.

“He stands just over six foot three Rickie, Rickie…”

When Rickie Lambert signed for Saints in August 2009 for a price of around £1 million, it raised a few eyebrows amongst the other League One clubs as a big amount of money to be spending on a player, so soon after the club had been in severe financial trouble.

It certainly signalled the intent of Markus Liebherr and the new regime, that they would outlay that amount on a player that had never played higher than the third tier. Was it a risk? Perhaps it was at the time, although Lambert’s record speaks for itself at that level. Hindsight of course shows us that it certainly wasn’t, and actually a million pounds would represent a significant bargain. Who could put a price on Lambert’s worth to Saints now?

Lambert completed his one hundredth league game for Saints last Saturday, where his brace of penalties against Watford took him to fifty nine league goals and a record of over a goal every other league game. There were some question marks over whether Lambert could make the step up in his first season at this level, and eight goals in the first ten games would suggest that he can.

Lambert is every bit a goalscorer, proving so everywhere he has been, certainly the Bristol Rovers fans thought they let him go too cheaply in 2009, and still haven’t got a bad word to say about him.

Actually Lambert is one of those players who has improved drastically with age, and bettered his goalscoring record with every transfer and move up. Proving that sometimes, playing in and around players of a higher quality and working with better facilities can bring out the best in those that are willing to work.

Having begun his career at Blackpool, things didn’t take off for the young scouser at Bloomfield Road, and his stuttering professional career could have almost ended before it started, when he struggled to get a new club after being released by the Tangerines. Thankfully, Macclesfield Town took a chance on him, and it was a signing that paid off for the Silkmen. Having scored ten goals for the club in the 2001/02 season Lambert had caught the eye of near neighbours Stockport County and ex -Saint Carlton Palmer, prompting them to pay three hundred thousand pounds for the striker, tripling the Cheshire side’s record transfer income.

Success on the pitch were in short supply at the County Ground, the club faltering under Palmer and then Sammy McIlroy, but Rickie showed his resolve, still netting twelve times as the club battled relegation in 2003/04. Despite this personal success, Lambert was faced with dropping a division in 2005, heading to Spotland.

Rochdale Rickie. The beginning.

Rochdale proved to be a good move for Lambert, as he hit his first twenty goal season in 2005/06 even though the club proved to be inconsistent, finishing mid-table in League Two, and he was soon on the move again. This time Rickie would venture outside of the North West for the first time, joining Bristol Rovers for two hundred thousand pound in the summer of 2006.

‘In all his time at Rochdale we always knew that we were lucky to have Rickie Lambert and that one day he’d go onto bigger and better things; we were just happy to have him for as long as we could. The fact that he played alongside Grant Holt too made it even more special – we were the envy of the majority of clubs in our league with probably the best attacking duo. We signed him from Stockport where surprisingly he’d failed to make that much of an impression as far as I can remember.

In the 05/06 season (his second at Rochdale) I believe he played every game and ended the season as the league’s top scorer. Anyone who knows Lambert’s style of play will know about his free-kicks and they became pretty much expected every game; it almost a dead cert that if we got a free-kick outside the area then Lambert would calmly and cooly pop it into the back of the net.

We sold Rickie Lambert to Bristol Rovers in his third season with us for £200,000; it was a huge loss to the club, team and fans alike. We went on to make a further £25,000 from sell on clauses after he helped take Bristol Rovers to the play offs and eventually promotion.

I always look back at his time at Rochdale (especially playing alongside Grant Holt) and think “what if we’d never sold him”.’

It was at the Memorial Ground that Lambert really came to prominence. Despite a slow goalscoring start, he was to become a cult hero of the Gas fans, and it was soon a seemingly weekly occurrence in the 2008/09 season on Soccer Saturday that Jeff Stelling would be lauding him as having scored again. Lambert hit twenty nine league goals that season, an impressive feat in any team, even more so in one stuck in mid table.

Rovers fan Henry Burridge gives his lowdown on Lambert’s time by the Avon:-

“Having forked out £200,000 for Rickie Lambert, a fair wedge for any League 2 club, Bristol Rovers held high expectations of the Scouse forward. It took the big man a while to settle but upon his departure to Southampton there was more than a twinge of sadness amongst the average Gashead.

The fierce strike past Bristol City’s Adriano Basso that gave Rovers victory over ‘the dark side’ was enough to make him a part of Rovers folklore alone, but the goals didn’t stop there. A superlative 40 yard half volley against Swindon and a late header against Hartlepool lead Rovers to the play-offs, eventually winning promotion to League 1 after years in the doldrums.

While those who had shined in winning promotion for the Pirates failed to make the step up Lambert took to the third tier like a duck to water. 15 goals were scored in the league with another four in the FA Cup to boot, helping Rovers to the quarter finals of the prestigious competition, including a free kick against Southampton.

If what was seen in that season was potential then next season would be the blossoming. It seems odd to use such a dainty word when referring to a hefty man of 6’1” but the technique Lambert possessed was that of a class higher than League 1. Great in the air and on the floor, a cerebral footballing brain and two feet like sledgehammers, the only thing lacking from Lambert’s game was a yard or two of pace, though if he had that in his locker then there is no doubt in my mind that he would have been a Premier League player.

In his final season at Rovers Lambert flirted with the 30 goal mark, eventually falling one short, but the summer months would be torture for a set of fans that were just waiting for the inevitable bid to come in. You could not argue with the departure of Lambert to Southampton, going to a club with excellent facilities and getting a much increased wage. At the time the deal looked good, having seen the man go from strength to strength since his move the £1,000,000 fee seems a pittance.

There is still far more to come from Lambert, now making the same impact in the Championship, I live in hope that there is a weighty sell on clause upon his next transfer.” Read more from Henry at his site:- HJB Sports.

“He’ll take us to the Premier League, Rickie, Rickie…”

Rovers Rickie. The Spotlight.

When Alan Pardew made him his first signing at Saints the following summer, some suggested he might have been overpriced, but Saints plan to sign players that could perform both at League One level and in the Championship showed faith in Lambert to make the grade. Saints started poorly in their first League One season but finished 7th despite a points deduction and Lambert hit thirty league goals, as well as three on route to winning the Johnstones Paint Trophy.

Renamed “Southampton’s Goal Machine” by the St. Mary’s faithful, Lambert represented all that was good about the new Saints positive outlook. His second season saw some doubt creep in though, as Lambert found himself a victim of his own success. A slow start to the season for both Lambert and the team saw frustration set in amongst the fans, and as Alan Pardew moved on, Lambert found his role in the side change under new gaffer Nigel Adkins. Having been very much the target man under the more direct Pardew, Lambert proved himself as a goalscorer, under the more possession based Adkins, Lambert proved himself as a footballer. Adapting his game to suit that of the new manager, Lambert’s ability as a provider and an all round player came to the fore, amazingly his perceived lack of goals led some to suggest he was having a poor season, he still scored twenty one league goals as Saints gained promotion to the Championship.

Saint Rickie. The Success.

It has been well documented that Lambert has worked considerably on his fitness under Adkins, and has never looked so svelte. Finally Saints have a number seven befitting that figure, stunning goals (like the screamer against MK Dons), and an ability from a dead ball situation befitting the great man himself.

But could Rickie make the step up to a level he has never played at before? Eight goals in ten Championship games so far would suggest he could. What’s more there have been murmurs of interest from Premier League clubs, most notably Newcastle United, now managed by Pardew.

So has he been worth the £1 million spent in 2009? I think anyone would find it difficult to suggest he hasn’t. If he and the team carry on as they are, he could well get the chance to prove himself at the highest level, but having just missed out on the nPower Championship Player of the Month for September, Rickie Lambert has nothing left to prove. I would love to know what price Saints fans would put on him now, for me he is priceless, his role in our team and the way we play would be exceptionally difficult to replace. Perhaps even impossible.

Great in the air, a physical presence who will give any centre half a hard time, a finisher and a footballer. What we might have is the epitome of a great forward. What is for certain is that the resurgence of this football club has come on the back of a lot of Rickie Lambert goals, and you can’t put a price on that.